Town councillors in Nantwich are hoping a £15,000 “weed-buster” machine will help clean up its allotments and streets.
They voted to test out the new “Foamstream” machine with a view to buying one for the council’s use.
It would first be used to tackle the sharp rise in ‘horsetail’ – a stubborn aggressive weed which has rendered up to 12 of its allotment plots at Brookfield allotments unusable.
The machine could also be used to clean the town centre streets of weeds and stubborn gum stains on footpaths.
But Cllr John Statham questioned the planned purchase, saying more pressure should be put on Cheshire East Council to clean up the highways.
“Are we the right body to have this? Shouldn’t Cheshire East Council be paying for this?” said Cllr Statham.
“£15,000 to clear weeds from 12 allotments seems a bit steep. And it is not our job to clear weeds on Barony Road. Cheshire East are no where to be seen.
“This is £15,000 of taxpayers’ money we’re spending that could be used for other things.
“Most taxpayers will be expecting Cheshire East Council to carry out this service, not Nantwich Town Council.”
Under current arrangements, CEC only carries out weeding in the town once a year in August, said town council facilities manager David Thomas.
And Cllr David Marren added: “It would take at least a year to get anywhere with Cheshire East to carry out extra duties.
“They provide a minimum service and anything above that will have to be paid for.”
A report to town councillors said: “Brookfield allotment site has been experiencing extensive invasion of horsetail for several years, despite attempts by officers and allotment holders to eradicate it.
“There are currently 12 allotments vacant as it is not possible to let them in the condition they are in.
“These plots currently have covering over them in an attempt to kill the horsetail.
“The town council no longer uses herbicides to treat weeds and horsetail due to the negative impact on biodiversity.”
The Foamstream method is currently used by a handful of local authorities in the UK, with the nearest being Manchester City Council.
Councillors agreed to plans to view a demonstration of the equipment with a view to buying if successful.
Foamstream does not work on marestail.
There must be more economic ways to do this, surely there is a local contractor could do this for a lot less. Even over a number of years.
Also IIRC the only real way to eridicate horsetail without herbicide is to remove remove every part of the plant. Including the root.
Does this machine do this?
Having been on the Crewe & Nantwich allotments panel for several years in the past, the only thing that worked with horsetail was 2 applications of glyphosate. And then clamping down quickly on uncultivated plots. Is glyphosate totally banned now, if so it will make life v difficult and costly for councils with allotments. No wonder CEC handed them to town councils. I don’t agree with buying an expensive new fangled weed machine to benefit a couple of hundred allotment holders either, but could a deal be done with other local town councils with the same problem and buy it jointly. (Town councils never seem to work like this though.)
Don’t see any evidence of weeds being sprayed in the town you only have to walk along Mill street or Hospital street to see that never happened in August.
So, the council have decided to cancel the 10 externally run markets in town that bring visitors and local families into town, to save £1200 and now they’re planning on spending £15,000 on a machine to weed allotments? They could not be more out of touch nor slef-serving? No doubt they all have allotments or good friends with allotments…